Pakistanis Reveal What They Think of the Coronavirus Vaccine

Around 40% of the citizens of Pakistan have stated that they are reluctant to get the vaccine against the novel coronavirus. A national survey taken further revealed that only 4% of the total respondents blamed the opposition for holding large rallies and infecting hundreds of people. 

Moreover, the challenges regarding future immunization efforts were highlighted by some Pakistanis, who also expressed concern over the communication strategy of the government. 

IPSOS carried out the 2-6 national opinion survey in December and published the results. It showed that the number of people who are open to getting vaccinated has decreased from 62% in the previous month to 60% now. However, the acceptance level has improved since August, when only 37% of people were positive that they would want to get vaccinated. 

Another noteworthy observation made from the survey results was that the number of citizens against the vaccine has fallen from 27% to 22%. Back in the month of October, 23% of the respondents were of the opinion that the vaccine would not be effective. But, this ratio has also declined and is now at 15%. 

The survey also indicated that there has been a reduction in the number of people blaming the federal government for the spread of the virus and the resultant deaths from it. This ratio now stands at 21% but, was 35% in the month of October. 

On the other hand, a greater number of Pakistanis are now blaming themselves for flouting coronavirus guidelines and causing the virus to spread. From 34% in October to 40% now, a larger number of respondents now believe that they are contributing to the outbreak of Covid-19 on a larger scale. 

In the past few days, the government has been campaigning to accuse the opposition of causing the disease to spread. However, the citizens of Pakistan are not convinced, as only 4% of the respondents laid blame on the opposition. Even though the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), an 11-party opposition alliance, held a large rally in Lahore on Sunday, people do not hold them accountable. 

But, the respondents of the survey did point accusatory fingers at the provincial governments for pushing the spread of the disease. In October, the survey showed that only 11% of the respondents believed that their respective provincial governments were at fault whereas, 14% of them now hold the same opinion. 

In addition, 28% of the respondents in October stated that they were worried about the side-effects of the coronavirus vaccine. However, this ratio has now risen to 34%. Another alarming percentage that has increased is that of people who are of the opinion that the virus will not infect them. This number has gone from 20% to 23%. 

In other news, India has reported that the members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) were unable to reach a consensus regarding a proposal submitted by South Africa and India in the month of October. They wanted a temporary waiver of intellectual property to acquire coronavirus vaccines and drugs.